The best Flag Day ever!

Thirty years ago yesterday was the best Flag Day ever - it was the one that Ben was born on.  Yep, my oldest child turned 30.  And what a blessed 30 years it has been.

Ben has grown from being a sensitive, happy boy into a sensitive, happy man.  He is a cook, a fisherman, a fixer-upper, a dad, a husband, and a wonderful son.

He is the oldest of two oldest children.  He and I were thinking this week about how my parents are both oldest children, Daryl and I are oldest, and so are Abbie, Sarah, and Corey!  The only ones  somewhere other than that in the birth order are David and Jackie.   

When I think of something funny, I can always call Ben and share my joke.  He always 'gets it' without further explanation.  

Ben is my friend.  There isn't much better than that, is there?

Last night we celebrated his birthday, along with a late celebration for Abbie.  Just for a little added fun I decided to get a pinata.  A shark pinata!

Daniel helped hang the shark

Don't remember what was so funny, but I love to see everyone laughing!

Funny shark!

Get it, Bella!

After the kids had their turn, we let the birthday people have a shot at the shark.  And after Abbie took a few swings, this is all that was left of him......

Way to go, Abbie!

Macramé plant hangers

Smells have a way of bringing back memories when you least expect them, don't they?   I was tying up the tomatoes with some twine last week and it took me back to my grandparent's backyard.  

At some point during my growing up years I got on a kick of making macramé plant hangers.

Like this one.

I have no idea why I would do that.  It is unlikely that I had any plants to hang.  I should probably apologize to anyone I gave one to.  It was probably a gift that makes you say, "Ummmmm......thank you?"

I remember the summer that I was a macrame specialist.  Both sets of our grandparents lived in Pasadena, Texas and every summer we would travel from our home in Indiana, Alabama, or some other place to visit them.   On this trip either Dad or Papa Skaggs  installed a hook on the ceiling of the back patio so I could stay out there and be crafty.  I stood there making planters for days.  Or at least that is how the smell of jute makes me remember it!  I have always loved the feeling of being productive by making something out of strings, threads and fabric.  Today that love is fueled by yarn and embroidery thread.

But, I still use jute to hold the plants up.

I love that smell!

Basil Pesto

One day this week I was bored with nothing to do.  Not really, but I was wasting time by surfing the internet. I surfed on over to The Pioneer Woman and saw that she had posted a recipe for Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce.  

Well, two things about that post worked for me.  I had no dinner plans, yet.  And, I have basil!

Lots of basil!  It is growing in the garden in places where it wasn't planted.

In a brick....

and on the walkway.  I figure that if it wants to grow there, who am I to tell it not to.  But, I sure can use some of it!

So, I got about this much.  The recipe calls for 3/4 cup and after I got the best leaves and packed it down well, this was about right.

I use walnuts instead of pine nuts.  Don't know why I started doing that, but I think it had something to do with the price of pine nuts.  

It really was delicious.  For dinner that night I made the Pesto Cream Sauce and served it over chicken breasts and pasta.

Thanks, PW!

Thankful Thursday

This morning when I opened the door to go for a walk I was greeted by a beautiful fog.

The foggy garden

I don't know what this weed is, but I think I will go back and cut some to mix in with the roses in a vase.  It looks a little like babies breath.

There is a little farming going on out on Greer Farm this week.  Imagine that!

Headed back home

Deer tracks, but didn't see a deer

The sun trying to break through

Back to the garden

Living out of town like we do is a lot more messy and a little more complicated than living in a neighborhood, but I am thankful that the things that matter most to me about home are all found here.  

P.S  After I posted this I went outside to cut a little grass and tend to the animals.  

SO... I noticed that one little chicken had escaped from her pen so I tried to catch her, was unsuccessful, went back and forth out of the horse pen trying to "show her the way home", left the horse gate open on one of those times, Midnight got out, finally got the chick back in her home, went to get Midnight, he said "no, thank you" to coming back home, I said, "you wait until your dad gets home, " he changed his mind, I put him in the fence.  

Good thing this is "thankful Thursday" or I'd be having some ungrateful thoughts!

Litterbug thoughts

I found this lovely gift while I was out walking this morning.  And I thought to myself, why throw things out of your truck on my road?  Just take them home and throw it out in your own yard.

I'll never understand it!

But the cigarette box reminded me of my visit to the doctor yesterday.

From where I was sitting on the table I could see the computer screen that showed all of my information.  I noticed that under the heading of Tobacco Use it said "Denies".  Well, of course, I deny using tobacco.  Because I don't use tobacco!  Why doesn't it say a simple "no" or "none".  The word, "denies", seems to imply that they doubt my answer.  Am I getting paranoid?

And all of that reminds me of the words and phrases I heard yesterday that would never have come up twenty or even ten years ago.  Things like:

 - yes, that's a bunion

 - menopausal

 - well, as you get older (doesn't that go without saying?)

 - schedule a colonoscopy (boo)

 - I'll prescribe a statin

 - does anyone in your family have gout? (what?)

Of course, some things were good.  Such as:

 - you must be exercising (my favorite)

 - your good cholesterol is very high

When Ben heard that I had gone to get some lab work done a week before my appointment he told me that is what happens when you get older.  He is right.  But since he was born when I was only 19, he's just not that far behind me!  And it looks like I might be around to say the same thing back to him!  What a blessing!

Time to beat the heat

This week we are having a little cold snap.  I think the high will only get up to around 97 or so.  (I am being sarcastic.  Just in case you didn't get it.)

But, last week, it was REALLY hot!  We were setting records for the heat.  There is still plenty of work to do outside, though, and my only option was to get out early.  The time stamp on these photos is 5:11 AM!

I think we need to start a new saying, "As curious as a chicken."  May not have the ring to it that "As curious as a cat" does, but around here it is more accurate.  What they were asking me was, "What did you bring me?"  I save my fresh food scraps for them and rarely go out empty-handed.  They love it when I give them egg shells, carrot peels, leftover beans or cracker crumbs.

I just love the color that a magnolia blossom gets as it is fading away.  Such a rich color.

I turned the water on the garden and then just stood there to hear the tsch, tsch, tsch of the sprinkler.  That is one of the true sounds of summer.  Love it!

The Accidental Rooster gets his own bachelor pad

A while back I told you about how we came to be the owners of a very fine rooster.  It was an accident.  Usually, when that happens we find someone to give the guy to.  This time we just never got around to it.

And, you may not know this, but when there is only one guy and lots of girls -- well, it just causes problems.  With Roosty (as I so creatively call him) living with the hens, everyone was in a constant state of turmoil.  

Now, he has a place of his own.  He lives right next door to his old girlfriends, so they can talk across the fence, but there are no house visits.  The girls are all so much calmer. 

Poor Roosty, though.

  

He spends his days pacing along the fence just looking for a place to break back in.

Not happening, buddy!

World's tackiest bird feeder

I have not had very good luck with bird feeders this year.  And I wanted to very badly!  First, the only one I had bit the dust.  Then, the next two I got were duds.  Who ever heard of bird feeders that birds won't eat out of?

My parents have two great bird feeders.  One of them is a flat feeder and the other is a regular feeder.  Regular, except that it has batteries in it to shock the squirrels who try to steal some seeds.  That's just the way they feel about squirrels in Oklahoma.

So, I called Mom to see if many birds were eating at their feeder.  She said that it really wasn't the time of year to feed birds since there is so much food other places right now.  That made me feel better, but I have had almost -0- birds!

Without spending any money, a flat feeder seemed like the way to go.

And I set out to make the World's Tackiest Bird Feeder.

I think I was very successful!

Closet cleanup

Last night Daniel opened the coat closet door and said, "Minnie, there is a booger in the closet."  While I have no idea what he might have been talking about, I can't think of anything good that can come from having a booger in your closet.

So, this morning I decided to clean out the booger closet.

With a little help from my friends.

Another pest

I had a friend who didn't like cats at all.  Her reason was because of the way cats look at you.

I think I see her point.

And this morning when Twinkle decided to rub noses with me at some hour before daylight, and when she jumped on my feet before the sun came up, and when she was lying on her back under my bed running in circles by pulling on the underside of the box springs...

I didn't like cats, either.